Overview

A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read for March 2024 * A Bustle Best New Book of Spring 2024 Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jane Marie expands on her popular podcast The Dream to expose the scourge of multilevel marketing schemes and how they have profited off the evisceration of the American working class. We’ve all heard of Amway, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and LuLaRoe, but few know the nefarious way they and countless other multilevel marketing (MLM) companies prey on desperate Americans struggling to make ends meet. When factories close, stalwart industries shutter, and blue-collar opportunities evaporate, MLMs are there, ready to pounce on the crumbling American Dream. MLMs thrive in rural areas and on military bases, targeting women with promises of being their own boss and millions of dollars in easy income—even at the risk of their entire life savings. But the vast majority—99.7%—of those who join an MLM make no money or lose money, and wind up stuck with inventory they can’t sell to recoup their losses. Featuring in-depth reporting and intimate research, Selling the Dream reveals how these companies—often owned by political and corporate elites, such as the Devos and the Van Andels families—have made a windfall in profit off of the desperation of the American working class.

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9781982155773

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Reviews

“What a strange and insidious world Jane has chosen to explore and share with us, one that is hiding around every corner of American life.” -- <B>Susan Orlean, <I>New York Times</I> bestselling author of <I>The Library Book</I></B> “[A] piercing debut investigation into the pyramid schemes underlying such well-known American brands as Amway, Avon, and Mary Kay…[Selling the Dream] is an urgent and riveting exposé of the fraudulent tactics behind direct sales organizations.” -- <B><I>Publishers Weekly</I></B><B>, starred review</B> “Marie offers a biting exposé of multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), triangular business structures that exploit people hoping to realize riches and success....Eye-opening reporting on a prolific scam.” -- <I><B>Kirkus Reviews</B></I> “Charting the dark underbelly of multilevel marketing isn’t for the faint of heart, but in Jane’s capable hands we’re along for a wild ride. In Selling the Dream her big heart and clear-eyed reporting are on full display.” -- <B>W. Kamau Bell, author of <I>The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell</I></B> “So, my former intern wrote a book. You're looking at it. I knew nothing about this world and loved learning about it from Jane.” -- <B>Ira Glass, host and producer of <I>This American Life</I></B>

“[A] piercing debut investigation into the pyramid schemes underlying such well-known American brands as Amway, Avon, and Mary Kay…[Selling the Dream] is an urgent and riveting exposé of the fraudulent tactics behind direct sales organizations.” -- <B><I>Publishers Weekly</I></B><B>, starred review</B> “Charting the dark underbelly of multilevel marketing isn’t for the faint of heart, but in Jane’s capable hands we’re along for a wild ride. In Selling the Dream her big heart and clear-eyed reporting are on full display.” -- <B>W. Kamau Bell, author of <I>The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell</I></B> “So, my former intern wrote a book. You're looking at it. I knew nothing about this world and loved learning about it from Jane.” -- <B>Ira Glass, host and producer of <I>This American Life</I></B>

Author Information

Jane Marie is a Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist, a former producer of This American Life, and the host of podcasts The Dream and DTR. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Cosmopolitan, The Toast, and more. She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter. Follow her on Twitter @SeeJaneMarie.

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